Hinge gauge



y 1941- J. L. TAYLOR HINGE GAUGE Filed May 4, 1940 Patented May 27, 1941 HINGE GAUGE v John L. Taylor, San Diego, Calif.

Application May 4, 1940, Serial No. 333,413

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a hinge gauge, and

it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind particularly designed and adapted for use in laying out and marking the mortises for butt hinges.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind adjustable as to length and provided with means whereby the device as drawn along the marginal portion of a door or jamb therefor will accurately indicate the dimensions of the mortise in which one member of the hinge is to be located.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind including a body member having a hand grip and being disposed along the outside edge of the body whereby the device may be gripped by the operator in a manner to assure effective leverage to cause the gauge spurs carried by the body to mark perfectly during a single operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind including a body provided with suitably positioned gauge spurs and wherein each of said spurs is formed to provide a cutting edge of a character to cause the same to cut a true line and wherein the device is of a character which will not slip during the operation of marking a hinge length.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved hinge gauge whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensiv and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I Will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a hinge gauge constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the device as herein embodied;

Figure 3Vis a view in elevation opposite to Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, B denotes a body of desired length and which is provided with a flat face I extending from end to end of the body B and which is adapted to have direct contact with a facing of a door or jamb comprised in a casing or frame for the door.

One longitudinal marginal portion of the face I is defined by an outstanding flange 2 having an inner flatface 3 perpendicular to the face I of the body B. This face 3 is adapted to have contact with the edge face of a door or jamb with which the device may be employed.

The face I may be defined as constituting the inner face of the body B and the flange 2 being at the outer side of the body B. The outer rear corner portion of the body B is formed to provide therealong a flange 4 extending beyond the rear face of the body 13 and the flange 5 extending above the upper face of the body B and also from the flange 4. The inner face 6 of the flang 4 is disposed from end to end on an inward curvature and the inner face i of the flange 5 is also disposed lengthwise on an inward curvature with the top face a of the flange 5 rounded. This particular formation of the flanges 4 and 5 provides a grip or handle which may be readily grasped by the hand of an operator and in a manner whereby in addition to providing an effective grip, the operator may readily impose such leverage on the body B to cause the gauge spurs, to be hereinafter more particularly referred to, to effectively mark during a single operation of the device.

The body B at a point inwardly of the flange 2 has disposed therethrough a bore 8 which slidably receives an elongated shank 9 provided at its outer end portion with a head I ii. This head I I) is formed to provide a flat face II which is substantially flush with the flat face I of the body B and which has its side edges at right angles to the inner face 3 of the flange 2.

The head I0 is selectively adjusted with respect to the adjacent end of the body B whereby the length of the gauge as a unit may be regulated in accordance with the length of the plate or leave of a hinge for which a mortise is to be cut. The edge of the flat face I of the body B remote from the head II] is also at right angles to the inner face 3 of the flange 2 so that after desired adjustment of the head Ii! with respect to the body B the length of the mortise to be out may be readily marked by a suitable instrument and between which markings the mortise is to be out.

The head i is held in its selected adjusted position through the medium of a binding screw 1) threading into the body 13 through the rear face thereof and having contact with the portion of the shank 9 within the bore 8 of the body B.

The inner face portion of the body B has its major central part cut away, as at l2, so that th operator during the use of the gauge may readily observe the crossed gauge lines which have been previously marked upon the work.

The body B in close proximity to the end thereof remote from the head [0 and in close proximity to the flat face I thereof has disposed transversely therethrough a bore M in which is snugly and slidably disposed a shank [5. This shank l at its outer extremity is provided with an outwardly and laterally directed marking spur It. This spur I6 is substantially iiat and is formed to provide a sharp cutting edge. It is also to be noted that the flat faces of this spur are disposed in a direction lengthwise of the body B and substantially in parallelism with the inner fiat face 3 of the flange 2. The spur I6 is at the inner side portion of the face I of the body B or at that side of the body remote from the flange 2. This spur I6 extends out beyond the flat face I of the body B through a slot I"! provided in the face I and in communication throughout its length with the adjacent end por tion of the bore I4. By endwise adjustment of the shank I5 the spur l6 may be selectively adjusted as desired with respect to the face-3 of the flange 2 and said shank l5, as herein disclosed, is maintained in its selective adjustment by the binding screw l8 threading through the outer face of the body B and having direct contact with the shank l5.

At the same end portion of the body E as the bore M and closely adjacent thereto but slightly spaced inwardly therefrom is a bore l8 This bore 18 is outwardly of but closely adjacent to the inner or flat face 3 of the flange 2. This bore i8 is at right angles to the bore l4. Slidably received within this bore l8 is an elongated shank i9 carrying at one end a spur 20 which extends out through a slot 2| provided in. the face' 3 of the flange 2 and having communication with the bore i8 This spur 20 extends beyond the face 3 of the flange 2 and the shank i9 is held in desired endwise adjustment through the bore i8 by the holding screw 22 threading through the outer side face of the body B and having contact with the shank l9.

After the length of the mortise to be out has been properly marked off on the door facing or jamb, as determined by the requisite adjustment of the head II), the spurs i6 and 20 are caused to penetrate the work with the fiat face I against the facing of the door or jamb and the flat face 3 ofthe flange 2 against the edge face. The device is then properly moved along the work resulting in markings or cuts accurately indicating the width and depth of the mortise.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a hinge gauge constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A hinge gauge comprising a body having a flat face, a flange carried by and extending along one side of the fiat face of the body, said flange having its inner face flat and substantially at right angles to the flat face of the body, spurs carried by one end portion of the body, one of said spurs extending beyond the flat face of the body at the side thereof remote from the flange, the second spur extending beyond the flat face of the flange, a head coacting with the end of the body remote from the spurs), and means for securing said head to the body to permit the head to be adjusted toward or from the body, said head having a flat face substantially flush with the flat face of the body, the side edges of said flat face of the head being at right angles to the inner flat face of the flange, the edge of the flat face of the body remote from the head being also at right angles to the inner face of the flange.

JOHN L. TAYLOR. 

